SDG Brand Champion Awards 2023 celebrate remarkable sustainable private sector development efforts
On the evening of May 26, the prestigious SDG Brand Champion Awards 2023, organized by the Akij Bashir Group in collaboration with Aspire to Innovate (a2i), took place at the Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden in the capital city.
The esteemed recognition, established by the Sustainability Brand Forum, honored a total of 24 initiatives, including 11 Winners and 13 Honourable Mentions.
The recipients of the awards were BAT Bangladesh, Grameenphone Ltd, Bangladesh Steel Re-Rolling Mills Ltd, Baah Store Limited, BRAC Bank Limited, The City Bank Limited, GPH Ispat Limited, LafargeHolcim Bangladesh Limited, Unilever Bangladesh Ltd, Iassical Handmade Products BD Ltd, Nestle Bangladesh PLC, DBL Group, Hill Model United Nation, Epyllion Group, Energypac Power Generation Ltd, Envoy Textiles Limited, Green Textile Limited, Pacific Jens Limited, Robi Axiata Limited, and Unilever Bangladesh Ltd.
The objective of these accolades was to recognize and celebrate private organizations and brands that have made exceptional contributions towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Bangladesh.
This initiative received an overwhelming response and appreciation from various industries, as it marked the first of its kind recognition for sustainable practices.
The award ceremony was attended by more than 450 individuals and showcased the innovative and impactful initiatives of businesses, non governmental and development organizations, trade bodies, and brands that have actively promoted and implemented sustainable development goals in the country.
The awards were distributed across nine distinct categories, representing the comprehensive range of all 17 SDGs and their significance in Bangladesh. Nominations for the awards were open from April 11 to May 7, and a total of 147 submissions were received.
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The winners were selected through a rigorous, multi-step jury process. This process involved an initial screening of nominations, followed by thorough evaluations conducted by seven exclusive grand jury panels consisting of industry experts between May 19 and 22. The jury sessions included 31 esteemed category experts from various fields, ensuring a transparent, accountable, and unbiased selection process.
The jury board included Md Abul Kalam Azad, Former Principal Coordinator (SDGs), Prime Minister’s Office; Dr Syed Ferhat Anwar, President, Asia Marketing Federation (AMF) & Professor & Immediate Past Director, IBA – University of Dhaka; Prof. Imran Rahman, Vice Chancellor, University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB); Asif Iqbal, Group Chief Executive Officer, Hamid Group; Yasir Azman, Chief Executive Officer, Grameenphone Ltd.; Naser Ezaz Bijoy, CEO, Standard Chartered Bangladesh; Sabbir Nasir, Executive Director, ACI Logistics Ltd. (SHWAPNO); Azadul Haque, Chief Executive Officer, Max Group (Power); Syed Tanvir Husain, Chief Human Resources Officer, Grameenphone Ltd.; Parvez Mohammad Asheque, Chief of Party, USAID Advancing Universal Health Coverage (AUHC); Dr Ananya Raihan, Chief Executive Officer, Infolady Social Enterprise Ltd.
At the event, Nazia Andaleeb Preema, director and creative editor of Bangladesh Brand Forum, expressed his vision for fostering a culture of sustainability in Bangladesh.
She said, “In this modern world, sustainability is rooted in the philosophy and core objectives of any economy. Therefore, we need to push our industries and businesses to pursue sustainability at the core. I believe this accolade will initiate the process of reaching that purpose.”
